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First Alert 6’s 7 a.m. streaming newscast
BBreaking News

WOWT named Nebraska’s Best Newscast

  • August 14, 2025

LA VISTA, Neb. (WOWT) – First Alert 6 WOWT is celebrating some big wins at this year’s Nebraska Broadcasters Association awards banquet.

Our 5 p.m. newscast, produced by Sophia Ridder, took home Best Newscast on Wednesday night. First Alert 6 was also a finalist for Station of the Year.

First Alert 6 WOWT celebrated several wins at this year's Nebraska Broadcasters Association...First Alert 6 WOWT celebrated several wins at this year’s Nebraska Broadcasters Association awards banquet, held Wednesday night in La Vista. Pictured from left: Producer Sam Alessandro, Assistant News Director Katherine Bjoraas, Producer Sophia Ridder, News Director Cassie Crowe, Anchor Brian Mastre, Sports Reporter Mason Kern, Vice President and General Manager Shannon Booth, and Marketing Director Dan McGrane.(WOWT)

WOWT also took home awards for specific coverage.

The First Alert 6 news and weather teams won in the category of Best Spot Weather for our coverage of the March 19 blizzard in our 10 p.m. newscast, produced by Sam Alessandro and Executive Producer Chris Dachille. That coverage was anchored by Brian Mastre and Erin Sullivan, with Meteorolgist Bo Fogal and reporters Bella Caracta and Taylor Johnson reporting.

Mastre also won a Spot News Reporting award for his coverage of the Elkhorn tornado; and was awarded Best In-Depth Sports Story alongside Chief Photographer Zoran Tesic for “The Jersey.”

WOWT’s marketing team also won Best Promo for their spot “As Local as the Reuben.”

The First Alert 6 news team also won a handful of other awards including a silver award for Best Election Coverage and a bronze award for Best Sportscast.

Sports On 6 is also celebrating a win with reporter Mason Kern, who won Best Sportscast for his work at his previous employer — and WOWT sister station — KSNB in Hastings. Kern joined the First Alert 6 sports team in March after spending more than 3.5 years leading sports coverage at KSNB Local 4.

Wednesday night’s awards marked the end of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association annual two-day convention. On Tuesday night, WOWT veteran investigative reporter Mike McKnight was inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Copyright 2025 WOWT. All rights reserved.

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